The music was written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was introduced in the BroadwayplayWhoopee!, which opened in December 1928.[1]Ruth Etting's performance of the song was so popular that she was also given the song to sing in the play Simple Simon, which opened in February 1930.[1]

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The original version of the song, the biggest-selling at the time, was recorded by Ruth Etting on December 17, 1928. It was issued by Columbia Records as catalog number 1680-D,[1] with the flip side "I'm Bringing a Red, Red Rose," another Donaldson/Kahn composition.[2] The song reached #2 on the charts in 1929.

Other versions which also enjoyed popularity at this time[1] were by Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, with a vocal by Carmen Lombardo (recorded March 20, 1929, released by Columbia Records as catalog number 1782D, with the flip side "I'm Still Caring"[2]) and by Leo Reisman and his orchestra (recorded April 22, 1929, released by Victor Records as catalog number 21966A, with the flip side "Sweet Chewaulka, Land of Sleepy Water"[3]).

As the song was considered to be one of Etting's biggest hits, its title was chosen for the 1955 biographical movie about her life, in which Doris Day played Etting. Day's recording of the song, from the soundtrack, became a major hit for her. The same year, Sammy Davis Jr. and Lena Horne also experienced success with their versions of the song.

Davis's version was released by Decca Records as catalog number 29484, with the flip side "Something's Gotta Give".[5] It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on May 28, 1955 and lasted 12 weeks on the chart. On the Disk Jockey chart, it peaked at #20; on the Best Seller chart, at #12.[6] (However, another source[7] gives the highest position as #9, but lists this as a position for the combined two sides of the record, "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Something's Gotta Give.")